Three Florida Players That Should Be Circled On The Miami Hurricanes Board
![Florida Gators wide receiver Eugene Wilson III (3) waits at the line of scrimmage during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, FL on Saturday, October 28, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5472,h_3078,x_0,y_276/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FImagnImages%2Fmmsport%2Fall_hurricanes%2F01j6crzt10kv9rqmda7n.jpg "Florida Gators wide receiver Eugene Wilson III (3) waits at the line of scrimmage during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, FL on Saturday, October 28, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]")
The game is getting closer and that only means that more attention should be focused on the talent that will be lining up against the Miami Hurricanes in Week 1.
The Florida Gators, despite its record from last season, had a litany of young talent that took the SEC by storm. Many of them are returning with quality game experience to battle against the new-look Canes in Gainesville to open the season in the Swamp on ABC.
It is a quality game with the national spotlight on it and there are three key players the Hurricanes need to have circled on their board so they won't affect the outcome of a potential victory on the road.
READ MORE: 2024 Miami Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 1: Florida
Eugene "Tre" Wilson III
With question marks surrounding the secondary of the Miami Hurricanes, an electric freshman All-American can change the outcome of this game within seconds.
Wilson had a spectacular freshman season for the Gators. He had 61 receptions, over 500 yards, and six touchdowns to start an amazing college football career. The reports coming out of the Gator's fall camp are that he has been better than expected from one of the best young receivers in the country.
The key for Wilson is to get into open space and get the ball to him. Once he has the ball in his hand, he can shake anyone and get a TD. That is where the secondary will need to come in and be able to stop the speedy receiver. Wilson will be used in many motion actions something the Canes struggled with last season. This key for the defense will be to tackle him in open-field situations because of his allusiveness ability to force missed tackles. He finished the season with 18 forced misses.
Jordan Castell
Another young and talented player is the safety who started every game as a true freshman last season. He led the team in tackles last season (60), had one interception, and forced 3 pass breakups.
The receivers for the Hurricanes are some of the most talented players in the ACC but they will have a tall task against the lengthy defender. He was another freshman All-American who stood out for the Gators last season.
The Gaters operated out of cover 3 for most of the season where he thrived. He was a key reason players with deep ball threats were taken out of many games, but youthfulness is still on his side as some mistakes did happen as well.
Graham Mertz
By all accounts, the oldest player on the roster is quarterback Graham Mertz but entering into his sixth season of College Football, there is more than meets the eye.
The issue last season was the depleted offensive line that left Mertz to run outside of the pocket for a majority of games. Still, he was accurate finishing the season with a completion percentage of 72.9 percent, which was top five in the country, with a passer rating of 157.8.
He finished last season nearing 3000 passing yards with 20 touchdowns and only three interceptions. The Canes struggled to take the ball away last season but Mertz has the relentless pass rush to deal with. If his offensive line plays the same way as last season, it will be a long night for the veteran QB in the Swamp.
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JUSTICE SANDLE